Chapter 56

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 56: The Uninvited Guest (1)

"Young man! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations, sir!"

"Wow, how did you even start with 20,000 points?"

"You didn’t see earlier? When Eunho negotiated."

The cheers and confetti bursting in the sky were matched by the attention pouring in.

"Should I give it a shot too?"

"Don't blame me if you get deleted."

"Yeah, they let it slide because it was him. If it were me, I’d be gone in a second, dammit."

Pure celebration.

Simple curiosity.

Undisguised envy.

"You do know your stuff, though."

"What?!"

But there was no hostility or threats.

At most, people like Yejin and the foul-mouthed guy squabbled back and forth.

"If it weren’t for Eunho, they wouldn’t have listened to the end."

"Still, it got pretty close at the end."

"Yeah, right. I thought we were going to lose for a moment!"

"But I thought you’d still win in the end, sir."

It was a reaction like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’

Thankfully, no one seemed overly greedy.

"Jeez, at this rate, you're going to end up beating the administrator someday."

"No way!"

"No, seriously, this guy seems like he could pull it off."

...They were hyping me up so much it was becoming uncomfortable.

Pat! Pat!

As I brushed the confetti off my hair, Jieun approached.

Jieun, no less than the female lead of Romance Paradise, who was also the PD and editor.

"Um… congratulations, Eunho!"

"Thanks to you."

She approached hesitantly, which was unlike her usual self.

Her reddened earlobes suggested she felt embarrassed too.

Well, no wonder.

Even if it was just acting for a moment, pretending to be lovers with a coworker couldn’t have been easy.

Not to mention adding all those editing effects and cheesy background music.

"By the way, did the system always have an editing function?"

"Yes! I just asked out of curiosity, and it worked… oh?"

Flinch!

Jieun stopped mid-sentence, her face turning redder.

"Wha-what?!"

And then, pointing at me with wide eyes, she exclaimed.

"How do you even know that… Eunho?!"

She clamped her hands over her mouth in shock.

Oops.

That was a slip.

"I mean… what I’m saying is…"

I played dumb, acting clueless as I looked at her, who now had eyes darting around like a cornered rabbit.

"Was it… hosting? That thing after the broadcast when the observers flocked in?"

At this, Jieun turned her head, pursed her lips, and let out a small sigh.

Her demeanor suggested she was trying to calm a racing heartbeat.

"Are you okay? You look uncomfortable."

"Of course! I mean, why would I feel uncomfortable around you, Eunho? I’m totally fine! I feel so at ease right now, really!"

Hmm.

Even if it was just for the sake of the mission’s performance, it seemed Jieun had been uneasy.

‘I can’t let this slip.’

I decided to keep it an eternal secret to avoid making things awkward.

Just as I made up my mind and was about to change the subject—

"Hyung!"

Jaehyuk came running over, panting.

"Earlier on my channel… gasp!"

Clap!

"Mmph! Mmph!"

"Eunho! Why are you doing that to him?"

While holding Jaehyuk’s mouth shut with one hand, I spoke seriously.

"This is bad."

"Suddenly saying it’s bad… wait, didn’t Jaehyuk just say something important?"

"That’s not the point."

"Mmph! Mmph?!"

"The situation isn’t good."

"What?"

Jieun tilted her head, puzzled.

"It’s about the screen earlier. You saw it, right?"

"The award ceremony? Of course! Your face was shown so big!"

"That’s the problem. Not just my face but the entire background was shown too."

"Ah!"

"Mmph!"

She wasn’t entirely wrong.

The situation truly wasn’t ideal.

My location, face, and even my donation details and name displayed prominently.

This meant my personal information and location had been revealed to all the survivors in Yongsan District.

Which also meant—

"Flies might swarm in."

"Ah! Like during the last hunting mission?"

That mission where we had to hunt a target to fill the quota.

Back then, all sorts of low-lives came after my bounty.

It’s similar but—

"This time, it’ll be a bit different."

"What?"

Missions can somehow be twisted to find a solution.

At least missions come with rules.

But—

"Human greed has no rules."

"...!"

Jieun’s lips parted slightly in surprise.

Jaehyuk, now freed, chose to keep his mouth shut.

After a moment of heavy silence passed, Jieun spoke up.

"But… can’t you just store it in your inventory? That way, no one can steal it, right?"

"Well…"

How do you explain the worst-case scenario to someone who thinks theft is the biggest risk?

I debated whether to brush it off and avoid complicating things.

…But eventually, I called out.

"Hey, foul-mouth."

"What the hell? My name’s not—"

"The guy who died in the tunnel."

Flinch!

"So, how did you retrieve that item?"

"!!"

The guy who must have died alone in the tunnel after losing his mace.

Back then, the foul-mouthed one had definitely taken a bundle of weapons and armor left behind by him.

"I looted it."

But how?

There’s no way an unconscious person would kindly lay out the contents of their inventory before passing out.

‘Sola and Yeojin also picked up weapons left behind by the dead.’

So, the items stored in an inventory...

‘They drop when you die.’

I don’t know if it’s all of them or just some, and if it’s some, what the criteria are.

"Then… to get items, others might…"

"Kill, perhaps."

"That’s…"

I continued on behalf of Jaehyuk, who was stunned and at a loss for words.

A look of disbelief—no, a look of not wanting to believe.

If just the possibility is shocking...

‘They’ll faint if they realize how many people like that already exist.’

Jieun hugged her arms as if to ward off a chill and spoke up.

"Should we… move somewhere else? Just in case someone harbors bad intentions…"

"It wouldn’t matter. Our faces are already too well known."

"Oh…"

"Then I’ll stick by you, hyung! 24/7!"

At that, Jaehyuk clenched his fists and declared boldly.

Twenty-four hours, huh...

That’s one way to do it.

Hiding behind others.

But if it’s something that’s bound to happen eventually...

"I have a request."

"Yes! Please, go ahead!"

If it’s something predictable.

And if it’s better to face it now, armed with even a slight informational advantage.

Then it might be better to—

"If strangers come looking for us…"

Prepare.

And prepare again.

* * *

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

They came.

Strangers who weren’t entirely unfamiliar.

"Help, please!"

"Ahhhhh!"

With a monstrous creature the size of a house chasing after them.

—ROAR!

"How did a monster get here?!"

"Because the barrier is gone."

Ah.

Namsan Tower is no longer a safe zone.

The translucent barrier that once surrounded the tower had disappeared along with the ghosts.

And now, the monsters had chased them all the way here.

[Defeat the 'Starving Fire Bear'!]

Just one bear.

As I hesitated, wondering if I should step in, Jieun beat me to it.

"Eunho, please stay back. We’ll handle this…"

"No, noona! I’ll take care of it."

"Huh? By yourself?"

"Yes!"

And then Jaehyuk stepped in to stop Jieun again.

"No, Jaehyuk, it’s too dangerous—"

"Go ahead."

"Eunho!"

"…He’ll be fine."

At that, Jaehyuk nodded and dashed forward.

—Leap!

Eyes filled with determination.

Lips pressed into a firm line.

He’d definitely changed.

"Haaargh!"

...Though his comical battle cry remained the same.

Still—

—Smash!

As long as he swung the mace properly, that’s all that mattered.

"Take this! Hyaaah!"

Jaehyuk’s mace struck the bear’s leg.

It dug in like an excavator demolishing a building.

—ROAR!

The fire bear let out a pained scream.

It staggered!

For a moment, it seemed like it was losing its balance, but it quickly steadied itself.

And then it swung its massive forepaw down.

"Jaehyuk! Watch out!"

Thud!

But unlike before, Jaehyuk didn’t scramble to dodge; he took the hit head-on.

And then—

"Hrrrrrraaaah!"

He swung back.

Facing a creature much bigger, stronger, and more ferocious than himself—a monster whose injuries would be catastrophic—he fought back.

—Smash! Thud! Smash!

A fierce exchange of heavy blows.

Blood dripped steadily from beneath Jaehyuk’s feet.

"Is he… healing?"

"Super-regeneration. Quite a handy ability."

Like reversing time, Jaehyuk’s wounds were closing and new skin was forming.

Thud—

Meanwhile, the fire bear, its bones shattered by the relentless mace, finally collapsed into a pulp.

"Phew…"

And with that, it was over.

"Jaehyuk…!"

"Good work."

Exhaustion showed on his face, but he still beamed brightly.

"Yes, hyung!"

Grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

Jaehyuk didn’t just gain confidence from defeating the bear.

Behind him, like trophies of his victory, came battered visitors.

‘Some of these faces I’ve seen on the screen before.’

Not all of them, but a few were familiar.

None of them brought pleasant memories, though.

"Th-thank you! You saved our lives!"

"We’re alive!"

"Thank you so much! We’ve met before, haven’t we?!"

Among the panting survivors was a familiar face—a coworker I’d encountered during the "Hunting" and "Dark Path" missions on Namsan.

"An entrance exam?"

"Just how many more people do they plan to cut down...?"

This was the same man who had nearly lost his neck over a wrong word to Harona.

[Fine, I'll exclude you. I can just delete you, after all.]

"That's right! You can just delete—w-what?!"

Back then, he certainly had companions.

Is he alone now?

"You’re back again."

"Yes! I ended up here while being chased by a monster."

Hmm?

"You’re saying you came because of a monster? Chased by that fire bear?"

"That's right! It’s just that we didn’t have the ability to fight it ourselves..."

Hmm.

So that's how it is.

"And these people here...?"

"Oh, they’re survivors from Itaewon. We met them on the way."

There were thirteen visitors in total.

Five were those I had teamed up with during the 'hunting' mission, and the remaining eight were unfamiliar faces claiming to be from Itaewon.

"This place is at least better! Down the mountain, it's swarming with monsters!"

"We were worried after the barrier disappeared... It was really dangerous."

"There are injured people here! I’m sorry, but could we get some medicine or bandages?"

Among the visitors, some were anxious meeting us, while others felt relief.

"Still, it’s comforting to see familiar faces."

But.

"I’m not so sure."

"What?"

"The fire bear, I mean."

"The fire bear?"

The starving fire bear they claimed to have escaped from to get here.

According to the report…

"Have you ever seen it outside of Namsan?"

"Um… I don’t think so… Why?"

At my words, Jieun tilted her head, looking puzzled.

"What’s the matter? What are you getting at?"

"The fire bear has only appeared within the mountain so far. The area below belongs to the sky tigers."

"That’s… true. But why does that matter?"

"If the monster chasing them wasn’t a sky tiger but a fire bear, it means they were already in the mountain before being chased."

"Huh?"

"And even though the barrier has disappeared, why did they still decide to come here specifically?"

Jieun's face stiffened.

"Then… could it be…?"

I can’t say for sure.

It’s possible they came here because they were familiar with the area and needed a place to spend the night after the barrier fell.

But I know.

I know his existence.

That’s why.

"We must not let our guard down."

The audacity and cruelty to commit massacres without hesitation just to satisfy the observers.

The greed in his eyes when he confirmed the first-place reward.

And his immediate action to switch weapons and rush outside.

I had a hunch.

He’s among them.

X is here.

He must have come running straight here when he saw Namsan Tower on the screen.

‘If someone else kills me first, the whereabouts of the item will become unclear.’

It’s possible even the bear attack was part of his plan.

No, it definitely was.

The problem is…

"Who is it?"

"Oppa... are we safe now?"

"It’s fine now. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you."

Could it be that couple clinging to each other?

"My leg! My leg…!"

Or the man clutching his injured leg and wailing in pain?

‘He looks completely harmless, but...’

It could be anyone.

Who knows what face is hidden behind the mask?

Whether it’s an innocent-looking college student or an injured patient, caution is necessary in every case.

As I carefully scrutinized their faces, Sola suddenly stepped forward.

"Come here."

She began treating the injured.

"Ahh…!"

"Thank you, student! Truly, thank you!"

A blue light poured out in an instant.

The familiar blue radiance spread and healed the wounds of those it touched as if they had never existed.

"Hoo..."

As the injured got back on their feet, beads of sweat gathered on Sola’s forehead.

Was it because she was taking care of too many people at once?

Thud!

She sat down on a pavilion bench, looking exhausted.

‘She really is kind at times like this.’

Despite her cold impression and shy demeanor, her nature was unmistakable.

At that moment, a man who had been watching her hesitated before approaching.

"Uh, hey… are you okay?"

"...I’m fine."

"Both you and the person who saved us earlier… you’ve done so much for us."

With an innocent face that seemed devoid of any ulterior motive, he continued.

"I really want to repay you somehow..."

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]